HomeMy WebLinkAboutArts & Culture - 2017-03-21 Minutes
ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES
MARCH 21, 2017CITY OF KITCHENER
PRESENT:Judy Allred
Danielle Deveau
Aaron Francis
Dave Schnider (until4:30pm)
Julie Soulis
Lori Thompson (from 4:10pm)
Lydia Workman
Michelle Gnutzman
Sam Varteniuk
Linda Zensner
REGRETS: Shirley Madill
Pam Patel
GUESTS:Minto Schneider, CEO, Waterloo Regional Tourism and Marketing Corporation (WRTMC)
STAFF:Silvia DiDonato, manager, arts/creative industries
Carrie Kozlowski, recording secretary
CALL TO ORDER:Sam Varteniuk
1.0Acceptance of agenda:agenda reordered; accepted as amended.
2.0Declaration of conflict of interest: none.
DELEGATION
3.0Regional calendar of events: Minto Schneider
Minto gave an online demonstration of the events calendar accessible from the Explore
Waterloo Region website.
The current event calendar originated as GrandSocial, which was created by the Creative
Enterprise Initiative, in partnership with the cities and WRTMC.
Upon dissolution of CEI, the calendar moved to WRTMC’s site, and it continues to evolve.
Groups don’t have to be members of WRTMC to post events.
Encouraging groups to post events on the calendar has been challenging.
Visits to the site are up; many site visits are from individuals outside our community.
As a tourism marketing site, locally posted events have the potential to reach audiences far
beyond Waterloo Region.
The ‘shopping cart’ feature allows users to buy tickets to events directly from the site.
Recent changes:
Select ‘Application Program Interfaces’ (APIs) have been established that automatically
populate the Explore Waterloo Region calendar with events that were posted on specified
existing calendars. Explore Waterloo Region APIs currently exist with the Cities of
Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. APIs have costs associated with them.
Guest bloggers for arts/culture, food, family activities, heritage and technology have been
introduced.
o Launched collaborative efforts with partners (i.e., Stratford Festival) on online and social
media promotional efforts.
Upcoming changes:
o Add a search function on the events page to be called ‘What are you looking for?’
o Add a ‘build an itinerary/wish list’feature that will function similarly to the ‘shopping
cart’ where users can save excursions and events they’re interested in.
o Automate a reminder email campaign based on users’ saved itineraries.
o Remove the option to add business listings.
March 2017-ACAC Minutes 1
ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES
MARCH 21, 2017CITY OF KITCHENER
o Addlistingsof regional Canada 150 eventsand create Canada 150 content and a
dedicated page.
o Initiate social media promotion of the top 6 things to do in the region this week
DISCUSSION ITEMS
4.0Regional calendar of events: all
Committee members generally like the calendar.
Could additional APIs help with populating the calendar and address the challenge of
encouraging groups to post events?
Are there incentives that could be leveraged to encourage the posting of events? Could
posting events be a requirement of groups receiving municipal funding?
ACAC members could act as ambassadorsand promote the Explore Waterloo Regionwebsite
and encourage other organizations to post their events there.
ACTION: Minto to provide Staff with a boilerplate email for ACAC members to send to their
networks providing information about the Explore Waterloo Regionevent calendar. The boilerplate
wording will include a question about where groups are posting events(to help identify other API
opportunities).
INFORMATION ITEMS
5.0City Updates:Silvia DiDonato
The Arts/Creative Industries unit has 2 reports going forward to Committees of Council on
April 3: One recommending the acceptance of a commissioned artwork by the city’s 2016
Artist in Residence (which ACAC supported with a recommended last month), and another
regarding a proposed regional funding process for Key Cultural Institutions (KCIs) in our
region.
Kitchener’s KCIs are the KW Art Gallery, THEMUSEUM, and the KW Symphony. The Canadian
Clay and Glass Gallery is a KCI in Waterloo.
Kitchener workedtogether with the Region, Waterloo and Cambridge in collaborationwith
the leadership at KWAG, THEMUSEUM and the KW Symphony. Together they developed the
process for collaborative funding agreements.
The process does not involve pooling funds.
A definition of a KCI was developed to identify qualifying organizations.
Benefits of a collaborative funding application process across the region:
o Potential for enhanced communications between municipal funders and KCIs.
o Possible efficiencies for applicants through the useof a single application process.
o Opportunity for consistent information received by the municipal funders.
o Potential for enhanced accountability through the submission process (audited financial
statements, deficit reduction strategies and plans for responsible growth are required)
and informal agreements.
ACAC comments:
o Could smaller organizations (not KCIs) receiving municipal funding be invited to establish
their own criteria for success against which their progress would be measured?
ACTION: Staff to send ACAC link to reports when they are public.
ACTION: Staff to invite representatives from KCIs to attend future ACAC meetings.
ACTION: Staff to organize a joint meeting of all the municipalities’ arts/ culture advisory
committees.
6.0Downtown Action and Advisory Committee:Aaron Francis
Deferred until Aaron attends a meeting.
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ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES
MARCH 21, 2017CITY OF KITCHENER
7.0Economic Development Advisory Committee:Danielle Deveau
Deferred until Danielle attends a meeting.
8.0Public Art Working Group:Lydia Workman
No report, PAWG didn’t meet this month.
ACTION: Cross-appointed members to report back on the top priorities of the committees to which
they are cross-appointed at a future meeting.
9.0Council Report: Councillor Schnider
Council approves development of new by-law to keep city streets clear of shopping cart
clutter
Downtown Kitchener to gain new ‘Class A’ office space through sale of 345 King St. West to
Perimeter Urban Development
o ACAC comment: is there an opportunity for the arts through this development?
ACTION: Staff to explore opportunities for the arts through the development at 345 King St. W.
10.0Member’s updates:
Tasha the Amazon, a musician hailing from Kitchener, has been nominated for a Juno Award.
Conestoga College: Last day of class:April 22. The School of Media and Design will hold end
of term showcases and an awards night, including a gallery-style art show and sale called
Design Manifesto on April 12, 6-8pm at the at the Regional Museum.
Registry Theatre: Doubt, a play by Lost and Found Theatre, opens on Wednesday, March 22.
The Slocan Ramblers, a bluegrass band, performs on April 7.
ADJOURNMENT: The chair adjourned the meeting at 5:28 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, April 18, 4:00 p.m., Conestoga Room
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